This week we bring you an exclusive interview with attorney Steven Donziger on the Supreme Court’s recent rejection of his appeal. Learn from Steven himself about the “retaliation campaign” he faced from a corporate behemoth for exposing Chevron’s environmental destruction in Ecuador, why it’s so important that the Supreme Court refused to consider his appeal, and much more. We’ve talked to Steven at various points throughout his grueling struggle for freedom from Chevron’s unjust attacks, and this latest development truly reveals how Steven’s case is important for a strong critique of corporate power at the level of federal government. Watch below:

What is Steven Donziger up against? In our extensive conversation with him this week, we ask him to walk us through the charges he faced as a result of targeting from Chevron, how he appealed those charges, and why it’s significant that this appeal won’t be considered by the Supreme Court. Steven explains that he was charged with contempt of court and sentenced to 6 months in jail back in 2021 for refusing to hand over personal electronic devices to Chevron for their perusal. A district attorney had refused to prosecute him, but when a federal district court judge appointed a friend of his (who worked for a Chevron firm, it bears noting) to go after Steven, private corporate prosecution led to Steven’s sentencing.

As Steven, himself an attorney, points out, this degree of unapologetic, outright corporate power being wielded for private prosecution is truly unprecedented. Chevron has mobilized its massive resources and capital to overturn and obstruct justice, not only to avoid culpability for its grievous wrongdoings in Ecuador but also to punish and imprison any person attempting to hold it accountable. We hope you, like us, will appreciate hearing from Steven on this crucial case, reflecting on how corporate power and lack of accountability goes all the way up the American judicial system. Remember that you can listen to this episode when it’s released tomorrow through Spotify, Substack, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and more.